Latching means for flexible gates



C. B. BAUMGARTNER.

LATGHING MEANS FOR FLEXIBLE GATES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 199.

Patented Aug- 16, 1921.

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CHARLES E. EAU GART ER, oEM NcHEsrEn, VIQWA, ASSIGNOR T0 NATIONAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, [or MANCHESTER, IOWA, .A coEPoEATIo 0E IOWA.

LATorrI e MEANs FOR E ExI LEGA'rEs Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug- 16. 1921 Application filed September 29, 1919. Serial No. 327,228.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs B. BAUM- GARTNER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Manchester, Delaware county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latching Means for Flexible Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in latching means for flexible gates, and the object of my'improvement is to supply a flexible gate with a resiliently-controlled movable latch and a catch therefor with which the latch may be engaged in any adjusted position of the gate relative thereto.

This object I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the ac companying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of an adjustable flexible gate having my improved latch, and the post with catch thereon to be adjustably engaged by said latch; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of a gate-stile with my latching-means thereon as engaged with a catch on the gate-post; Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section of the parts shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of the catch-plate, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a gate-stile equipped with my gate-latch.

In said drawings, similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. 1 is shown a gate of the flexible type, comprising head and tail stiles 10 and 20 respectively connected at their ends to longitudinal tubular elements 21 and 22 by pivotal connections 23 to permit relative up and down swinging movements of said elements and the head stile relative to said tail stile.

The tail stile 20 is mounted to swin horizontally on the rear post 18 on the liinges 19. The said stiles and tubular elements are connected flexibly by cross-wires 26, and a U-shaped clip 25'is mounted slidably on the front stile 10, which is preferably a channel or U-bar, with its members linked to strainwires 24 positioned obliquely along opposite sides of the gate and secured at their rear ends to the upper part of the tail stile 20.

This clip thus may be moved along the head stile and engage it frictionally to hold it in a vertically adjusted position relative to a head-post 12.

Upon the face of the head-post 12 which is opposite said head stile when the gate is closed, is fixed a catch-plate 13, which is preferably troughed longitudinally toward the post with its medial flattened part or ridge 17 spaced from the post. The side parts or longitudinal margins of said plate are sloped oppositely from the medial part 17 away from the stile 10. A number of elongated spaced longitudinally alined openings 14 are provided along the medial longitudinal line of the plate 13.

The U-bar head stile 10 has a pair of medially located longitudinally spaced orifices 11 through which are movably passed the like end parts 2 pivotally connected to the ends of the vertical catch-bar 1. These parts or latches 2 also movably traverse orifices in angle-plates 8, the latter fixed across and to the spaced parts of the stile by bolts 6 and nuts 9.

Upon each latch-part 2 within the hollow of said stile a clip-collar or stop 3 is adjustably secured, the clip being a split-ring with abutted end parts 5 fastened together by bolts 4. Helical compression-springs 7 are mounted about the latches 2 and engaged between said stops and the angle-plates 8 to thus bear yieldingly and resiliently against the stops to propel the latches 2 toward the catch-plate 13 to enter the sockets or openings 14 thereof.

Either of the bars 1 or 15, as the case may be, may be grasped to move it rearwardly to disengage its latches 2 from the catch-plate, thus compressing the springs 7. When the opened gate is swung to a closed position, the latches 2 engage either sloping margin of said catch-plate and ride thereover moving rearwardly while compressing the springs, the springs then reacting to shoot the catches into the openings 14. As a number of openings 14 are provided, the latches may be engaged with the catch-plate notwithstanding the vertical adjustment of the stile 10 relative to said head-post.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

Latching means for a flexible gate, comprising a fixed standard provided with a plurality of longitudinallyalinedspaced to propel them toward said standard, and a elongated sockets, the adjacent gate stile connecting-rod pivotally connected to and having spaced longitudinally-Mined orifices between said catch-rods. 10 positioned opposite sockets of said standard, Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 13th day 5 a catch-device consisting of catch-rods of September, 1919. I

passed through the stile orifices, yieldable I resilient means connected to said catch-rods CHARLES Bl BAUMGARTNER. 

